Consumers would know whether the marijuana or hemp they buy was grown without the use of pesticides under a bill proposed Wednesday in the state legislature.

HB16-1079 would require the Colorado Department of Agriculture to devise a program in which independent companies would certify which cannabis is pesticide-free, and it would require special labeling consumers can see.

Marijuana growers are forestalled from using the term “organic” for their product even if they use certifiable organic practices. That’s because use of the term and the certification necessary to acquire it is controlled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since cannabis remains illegal under federal law, no marijuana or hemp can be designated legally as organic.

“I’m all for a certification that ensures to consumers that the final product they’ve purchased truly is pesticide-free,” said Devin Liles, head of cultivation at The Farm in Boulder.

The issue, however, is confusing organic with pesticide-free, Liles said. [Read more at The Denver Post]